W’EN you full o’ worry
‘Bout yo’ wo’k an’ sich,
W’en you kind o’ bothered
Case you can’t get rich,
An’ yo’ neighboh p’ospah
Past his jest desu’ts,
An’ de sneer of comerds
Stuhes yo’ heaht an’ hu’ts,
Des don’ pet yo’ worries,
Lay ’em on de she’f,
Tek a little trouble
Brothah, wid yo’se’f.
Ef a frien’ comes mou’nin’
‘Bout his awful case,
You know you don’ grieve him
Wid a gloomy face,
But you wrassle wid him,
Try to tek him in;
Dough hit cracks yo’ features,
Law, you smile lak sin,
Ain’t you good ez he is?
Don’ you pine to def;
Tek a little trouble
Brothah, wid yo’se’f.
Ef de chillun pestahs,
An’ de baby’s bad,
Ef yo’ wife gits narvous,
An’ you’re gettin’ mad,
Des you grab yo’ boot-strops,
Hol’ yo’ body down,
Stop a-tinkin’ cuss-w’rds,
Chase away de frown,
Knock de haid o’ worry,
Twell dey ain’ none lef’;
Tek a little trouble,
Brothah, wid yo’se’f.
(Paul Laurence Dunbar)
More Poetry from Paul Laurence Dunbar:
Paul Laurence Dunbar Poems based on Topics: Faces, Sin, Money & Wealth, Law & Regulation, Madness, Worry- Ione (Paul Laurence Dunbar Poems)
- The Party (Paul Laurence Dunbar Poems)
- How Lucy Backslid (Paul Laurence Dunbar Poems)
- The Spellin'-Bee (Paul Laurence Dunbar Poems)
- A Cabin Tale (Paul Laurence Dunbar Poems)
- An Ante-Bellum Sermon (Paul Laurence Dunbar Poems)
Readers Who Like This Poem Also Like:
Based on Topics: Faces Poems, Money & Wealth Poems, Sin Poems, Law & Regulation Poems, Madness Poems, Worry PoemsBased on Keywords: chillun, twell, haid, hol, tek, def, brothah, heaht, narvous, comerds, wrassle